Bring Your Vision to Reality with a Multilayered Church Construction Process

DIY is all the rage. YouTube tutorials promise to make everyone an expert.  That’s great in some cases.  Why not learn how to craft, paint, or upcycle?

In other cases, DIY can be disastrous.  Take whitewater rafting as an example.  You can read blogs, watch videos, talk to experts, and even take a class.  But you need a guide if you’ve never physically gone through rapids on a raft.

Once you’re in the water, there’s no time for second-guessing or revisiting your notes.  The unpredictable rocks and rapids demand split-second decisions.  They won’t offer a second chance.  Without an experienced leader in the raft, you could be up the creek without a paddle.  Or raft!

When taking on a church construction project, you may find yourself in a similar situation.  You can (and should!) read blogs, discuss with colleagues, and seek the counsel of experts within your congregation.  Once you commit to a church construction project, you’ll find that a healthy, successful construction process requires an experienced church construction company that can guide you to the finish line.

Do You Need a Church Construction Company if You Have Contractors in Your Congregation?

Contractors in your congregation can be invaluable resources in your church construction process. They can provide insight, resources, and confidence to help you navigate the journey’s twists and turns.

However, contractors are only one piece of the complicated puzzle of church construction projects.  You must also consider funding, debt, congregational involvement, community impact, and more.

The church is one body with many parts.  Having a contractor and other experts engaged in your church construction process can be a significant benefit.  When each expert is empowered to focus on their area of strength, their influence can be enhanced.

An experienced church construction company will know how to organize your congregation’s strengths and gifts to minimize friction and maximize alignment.

How do Church Construction Projects get Delayed?

A construction project is a defining moment in your church’s life. You need a guide who understands your situation and wants to see you thrive.  I served for 12 years as an executive pastor and also as a capital campaign consultant before stepping into my current role with Catalyst Construction as one of their Wisconsin church construction guides.

We have created a unique church construction process and our entire staff has a vested interest in your project that extends beyond our portfolio experience. We are people who care and want to build hope around your church vision. We are eager to walk alongside you as you pursue a God-sized vision that will significantly impact God’s Kingdom long after we are involved in the project. This project is more than Catalyst, it’s about giving back and stewarding others towards long-term success.

Far too often church construction projects are derailed by mistakes that could be avoided.  Sadly, most church construction companies are locked into a way of thinking that exacerbates some of the most common pitfalls in a church construction project.  Or they don’t have the level of church experience that we do.

What False Steps Delay the Church Construction Process?

What’s the first step in a church construction project?  Most people would say vision.  Some may say a pressing need.  To address these issues, most churches hire an architect to draft plans that will WOW your congregation, solve your needs, and inspire generosity.

However, in many cases, this can become a mistake.

It leads to increasing complications the further you get downstream.  Here’s the way this rocky river typically rages:

The Wrong First Steps of a Church Construction Project

• Vision for the future – or – Solution to pressing need
• Architectural renderings to bring vision to reality
• Vision and concept art presented to the congregation

At this point, the excitement is often palpable—like buying your ticket to go whitewater rafting for the first time. Everyone is excited, some are apprehensive, but no one has encountered dangerous currents yet. This comes next.

The Heartbreaking Backtracking After a Church Construction Process Gets Off-Track

• Request bids from contractors based on the design on which you have spent a lot of time and money.
• Discover the actual building cost is out of your reach.
• Come back to the congregation with a price tag beyond your budget
• Start over

This is where the river begins raging and threatens to throw some people off the raft.  The projected budget exceeds current resources.  When this happens – and it often does – you must return to your church and inform them that their dream building won’t become a reality. Or, at the very least, it will look markedly different than what was presented to them.

You also need to determine where and which ministry will be adversely affected by cutting back.  Then, you must go back to the architect and ask them to scale back different aspects of the building project.  All of this costs time, money, leadership capital, and emotional engagement.  And you still haven’t even started the church construction process.

Church Construction Projects Get Delayed by Linear Thinking

Multitasking may be actually be possible.  But a multilayered approach is essential for church construction projects to move forward.  The longer a project takes, the more money it costs, the more time it takes, and the more strain it puts on the congregation. And it’s not long before you start hearing comments like “Well, maybe God’s not in this vision” or “Does leadership know what they are doing?”

In church construction projects, timing is critical, and some things must be completed in the right order.  Otherwise, it’s easy to get out in front of your skis and create confusion.  For example, you should establish a budget before interviewing architects or contractors. Know what you can afford before the design starts. However, other aspects of the project can and should be done concurrently.

Churches are often led through a “this THEN that” process while it should be “this AND that.”  This isn’t the church’s fault.  Most church leaders aren’t experts in creating momentum around a construction project. If you think this through, you’ll see how much time, money, and momentum is squandered in a linear church construction process.

Suppose you wait to start the construction process until AFTER you’ve completed fundraising, you will waste nine months to a year’s time.  And that doesn’t factor in a myriad of delays that can disrupt the process at any point.

There’s a better way.  We can help you get there.

6 Ways a Multilayered Approach Gets Your Church Construction Project to the Finish Line

Every church construction process has multiple components.  The key to a successful project is arranging them in the right order and activating them at the right time.

Here are the primary building blocks.

• Vision
• Leadership on the same page
• Financial and funding strategy
• Church construction company
• Architect
• The right teams

Building blocks could be added, of course.  You could involve community stakeholders who aren’t yet a part of your church or businesses that may want to rent space in your new facility.  The list could get bigger.  But it can’t get smaller.

1. Increase the Efficiency of Your Church Construction Project by Layering the Right Steps in the Right Order

Just like you should put on your life vest before you step into a whitewater raft, from our experience successful church construction processes tend to follow this intuitive approach.

Have a God-Sized Vision

The first step in a successful church construction process is having God-sized goals that meet meaningful needs in your church and community.  If you have a goal that connects deeply with people, you can get a construction project moving.

Determine a Budget

Next, you must determine a budget.  At this stage, you must thread the needle between trusting God and not testing God.

There are surprising ways God can bless your church construction project.  There is also a reality for you to work within.  The budget for your church construction project is comprised of the following elements:

• Fundraising
• Financing
• Assets

Armed with a compelling vision and achievable budget, you can enlist an architect to begin drafting the plans to bring your vision to reality.

Combine the Expertise of the Necessary Professionals

The next step differentiates us from other church construction companies.  We have found that taking a sidestep at this point is essential.  Bringing the architect and church construction company together early in the process increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the project.

Often, architects and contractors don’t discuss the project’s details until later in the process.  The sooner they communicate, the better.  Early and ongoing collaboration between these parties eliminates unnecessary revisions.

The goal is to not just hit a target, but to center the bullseye earlier in the process than later. This saves time and money.

2. Activate Teams Concurrently for an Effective Church Construction Project

While these crucial components are being developed, most churches feel stuck waiting. But you don’t have to. Instead, you can—and should—work on funding and financing. This will give you a budget to use in the design.

The funding step can be implemented while the contractor and architect collaborate on your church construction project.  Running a successful capital campaign is an involved process.  You must establish strategic church communication systems, plan for multiple phases, and prepare to celebrate.

You will save MONTHS by weaving together these three behind-the-scenes components of a church construction project.  With each step you take, you will create wins and increase momentum as you get closer to the finish line.

3. Empower Teams to Collaborate for a Smooth Church Construction Process

Some churches have the leadership and staff needed to manage a project.  However, many churches must rely on volunteer teams.

While the capital campaign is ramping up for its first major phase, the construction process should go through a crucial transition: handing off the construction documents to subcontractors.

If you don’t understand precisely what’s involved in this handoff, you need a guide.  The current can be unforgiving at this point in the journey.

Each subcontractor’s schedule is contingent on the others. You can’t paint walls until the sheetrock is installed, and that can’t happen until the electrical work is done. But, the electrical work can’t be completed without walls being framed, which requires a foundation to be poured.

And on it goes.

Many churches want to add a helpful but complicated component: volunteer work. Your congregation may have qualified or potentially professional tradespeople who may be eager to donate their time and skills to the project.

That can be helpful if it’s all properly arranged and coordinated. Combine contractor delegation with an inspiring capital campaign, and each will have an exponentially greater impact! This and other parts of the process are what we help steward so you aren’t alone!

4. Address Delays and Unpleasant Surprises with Every Impacted Team

Your church building project can get disrupted by several unpredictable factors.  Many revolve around the budget.  Here are a few common issues we come across:

• Inflation
• Weather Delays
• Less Capital Raised than Anticipated

Catalyst Construction’s multilayered, concurrent approach can address these issues in real time without losing time.

If lumber prices unexpectedly increase (again!) or if you bring in 10% less than you anticipated, we can make minor adjustments and keep the project moving forward.

But if you wait to start the entire construction process until AFTER your capital campaign is in the public phase, you’ll have to start back at the beginning.

Further, pricing for materials on a construction project rarely decreases with time.  By engaging the architect, general contractor, and finance team – simultaneously – you save time AND money.

5. Break Ground, Not Hearts

You’ve been building up to this, waiting for the moment when planning and praying are transformed into tangible action.

With a trusted guide in your raft, you will have avoided unnecessary delays, recovered from inevitable setbacks, and kept the team together.

Now, you can and should combine three more aspects of your church construction process:

• Go public with your capital campaign
• Secure financing for the project
• Award and assign subcontractors
• Work toward groundbreaking

A groundbreaking celebration is a massive opportunity to leave a legacy.  We can get you there in 18 months.  That’s a tangible, achievable timeline, even in a transient culture.

Groundbreaking ceremonies provide another mile marker of God’s faithfulness and a practical expression of the progress made through the faithfulness, generosity, and sacrifice of the people within your congregation.

6. Build Momentum Within Your Church While Constructing Your Church Building

After the groundbreaking is complete, you don’t have to wait for the construction process to be complete. You can continue building momentum through your capital campaign’s strategic, intentional overlapping.

Each small win must be celebrated.  When you implement a multi-layered church construction process, you will have many wins to celebrate.

• First-time givers AND the first stages of the build
• Major donations AND major milestones in the building process
• Increased generosity AND increased capacity to serve your community

All of this can be achieved within a timeframe people can wrap their heads around.  With our industry-leading approach, your dream can become reality in around 30 months.  That’s two and a half years.

You can do this!  We can help you get there.

Partner with a Church Construction Company to Bring Your Vision to Reality

You can DIY your way through a knitting project.  But not a church construction project.  There are so many different pieces that need to be pulled together.  Without the proper guide at the center of the project, you run the risk of vision drift, scope creep, alignment breakdown, and more.

All of these issues cost time and money.  Worse, they risk damaging the faith of people who sacrificed to invest in the vision of the church construction project.

You don’t have to go it alone.  We can help you get there.  Since 2004, we’ve helped hundreds of churches realize their vision.  Our cutting-edge, industry-leading approach can guide you through the rapids and get your project to the finish line.

Ready to get your church construction project moving?  Reach out today for a free consultation!